A ‘Clueless’ Musical Is in the Works, So Stop Buggin’

Clueless is essential ‘90s viewing, though I hardly need to tell you that. Amy Heckerling’s teen masterpiece is an enduring comedic classic, one that still holds up today for new generations to discover. It seems a bit odd that it took this long for a version of Clueless to hit the stage, but it’s likely happening pretty soon, according to Heckerling.

In an interview with ET, Heckerling revealed that a musical version is in the works, though it will not feature any original songs; instead, it will be more of a “jukebox musical,” similar to Rock of Ages, using established pop songs. Rock of Ages director Kristin Hanggi is set to helm the Clueless musical, for which Hecklering has already written a book.

There is, however, one hold up: Heckerling says casting the musical is “the main problem,” as she really wants to get it right. A recent oral history of Clueless in Vanity Fair revealed the lengthy casting process involved in the making of the film, due in part to a studio change early on. But the search for the perfect cast led to, well, the perfect cast.

Heckerling says she’s not sure when we’ll see the musical, though:

It’s hard to know with Broadway when things will happen. Everything goes so slowly… I thought movies took a long time.

The 1995 film starred Alicia Silverstone in the role of wealthy teen Cher Horowitz, a girl who was far more considerate and giving than her superficial exterior suggested. Clueless was based on Jane Austen’s classic novel Emma, and saw Cher often trying — and sometimes failing — to play matchmaker with her friends and teachers. The film co-starred the likes of Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Breckin Meyer and Wallace Shawn, and went on to become a major classic.